William Dempsey Valgardson (born 7 May 1939) is an Icelandic-Canadian fiction writer and poet. He was a long-time professor of writing at the University of Victoria in British Columbia and a professor of English at Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri.^{[citation needed][when?]}

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Valgardson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, of Icelandic descent, and raised in Gimli, Manitoba. He completed his BA at United College, BEd at the University of Manitoba, and his MFA at the University of Iowa.[1]

His writing often focuses on cultural differences and involve irony and symbolism. His short stories involve normal people in normal situations, who, under certain circumstances, lead unusual and surprising lives.

Valgardson has won numerous awards and accolades including the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize for The Girl With the Botticelli Face (1992) and the Books in Canada First Novel Award for Gentle Sinners (1980). His short story Bloodflowers was included in Best American Short Stories 1971.

Bibliography

• Bloodflowers: Ten Stories short stories - Oberon Press, 1973
• The Job Anthology, Toronto, CBC radio
• God is Not a Fish Inspector short stories - Oberon Press, 1975
• In The Gutting Shed poetry - Turnstone Press, 1976
• Beyond Normal Requirements Anthology, Toronto, CBC radio, 1977
• Í Manitoba Utvarp Reykjavik, Rikis Utvarpid, Reykjavik, Iceland June 11, 1977
• Red Dust short stories - Oberon Press, 1978
• God is Not a Fish Inspector film Allan Kroeker, Dept.of Education, Manitoba, 1980.
• Gentle Sinners novel - Oberon Press,1980
• The Burning CBC Radio, Vancouver, 1981
• Bloodflowers Stereo Sound Stage, CBC radio, Toronto, Oct. 30, 1982
• The Pedlar based on "A Place of One's Own", film Directed by: Allan Kroeker Produced by: Michael Scott 1982, 54 min 32 s
• Gentle Sinners CBC film 105 min, Director: Eric Till, 1983
• Bloodflowers Sundary Matinee, Toronto, CBC radio, March 6, 1983
• Granite Point Saturday Stereo Theatre, Toronto, CBC radio, Oct. 29 1983
• The Cave Vanishing Point, Toronto CBC Radio, Dec. 28, 1985
• An Unacceptable Standard of Cockpit Practice Disasters, CBC radio, Vancouver, 1985
• Sælir eru einfaldirIcelandic National Radio, Reykjavik, Iceland, May 3–31, 1985
• The Carpenter of Dreams : poems—Victoria, B.C. : Skaldhus Press, c1986
• Bloðrot Icelandic National Radio, Reykjavik, Iceland, July 27, 1986
• Carpenter of Dreams Sextet, Sunday Matinee, CBC Radio, Feb. 15, 1987
• Seiche State of the Arts, CBC Radio, Jan. 10, 1987
• Ukrainian Journey Morningside, CBC Radio, Jan. 22–26, 5 parts, 1987
• Blóðrót, islensk þýðing Guðrúnar Guðmundsdóttir, ásamt inngangi eftir Harald Bessason—Kópavogi:Sigmar Þormar, 1989.
• What Can't Be Changed Shouldn't Be Mourned short stories, Douglas&McIntyre, 1990
• The Man From Snaefellsness Stereo Theatre, CBC Radio, (2 hour drama), Oct. 6, 13, 1991
• Wrinkles Arts Encounters, CBC Radio, Winnipeg, 1991
• The Girl With the Botticelli Face novel, Douglas&McIntyre, 1992
• The Girl With The Botticelli Face Between The Covers, CBC, Toronto, Oct. 4–22, 1993
• Thor children's picture book, illustrated by Ange Zhang - Groundwood, 1994
• The Hockey Fan - 1st ed. -- Victoria [B.C.] : Published for the Hawthorne Society by Reference West, c1994
• The Girl With The Botticelli Face On The Arts, CBC Radio, April 18, 25, 1994
• The Man Who Was Always Running Out of Toilet Paper Icelandic National Radio, Reykjavik, Iceland, trans Solveig Jonsdóttir, Sept., 1994
• The Girl With The Botticelli Face The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Nov. 10, 17 Nov. 11, 18, 1994
• Stúlkan með Botticelli andlitið novel, Þýðing, Gunar Gunnarsson og Hildur Finnsdóttir. -- Seltjarnarnes [Iceland]: Ormstunga, c1995
• Ingibjorg's Christmas Gift performed by the Inuvik Choral and Theatrical Society, CBC North Radio, Dec. 18, 19, 20, 1995
• Winter Rescue illustrated by Ange Zhang. 1st U.S. ed. 1995. -- New York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1995, c1994.
• Sarah and the People of Sand River children's picture book, illustrations by Ian Wallace - Groundwood, 1996
• Thor teikningar eftir Ange Zhang; Guðrun B. Guðsteinsdóttir, Íslenkaði—Seltjarnarnes [Iceland]: Ormstunga, 1996
• Garbage Creek and Other Stories young people's short stories - Groundwood, 1997
• Sarah och folket frán Sand River children's picture book, illustrations by Ian Wallace : till svenska av Aziza Xenia Dhaouadi—Stockholm: Eriksson&Lindgren, 1998
• The Divorced Kids Club short stories for junior high - Groundwood, 1998
• A Matter of Balance CBC Radio, Toronto, 1999
• Un visage 'a la Botticelli roman; traduit de l'anglais par Jean Chapdelaine Gagnon -- [Montreal]: Les Herbes rouges, 2001
• Frances novel for junior high - Groundwood, 2002
• What Can't Be Changed Shouldn't Be Mourned [electronic resource]. -- New York : Douglas & McIntyre, 2009.
• What The Bear Said: Skald tales from New Iceland folk tales from Lake Winnipeg - Turnstone Press, 2011

References

External links

• W. D. Valgardson in The Canadian Encyclopedia
• Valgardson at Encyclopedia.com
• Tolerance, intolerance, and fanaticism, W.D. Valgardson's reaction to the religious debate in New Iceland – Anderson, Erla Louise Colwill – 2000-05-01 at FGS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, University of Manitoba Faculty of Graduate Studies
• W. D. Valgardson at Library of Congress Authorities, with 13 catalogue records